There are many different infant nutritional formulas that are commercially available or otherwise known in the infant formula art. These infant formulas comprise a range of nutrients to meet the nutritional needs of the growing infant, and typically include lipids, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients helpful for optimal infant growth and development. These formulas are typically derived in part from cows milk or from soy protein isolates or concentrates.
Soy-based infant formulas are well known and readily available from a number of commercial sources, including Similac® Isomil® Advance® Infant Formulas available from Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio. These soy-based formulas are prepared especially for infants with feeding problems such as fussiness, gas, and spit-up, as well as for infants whose parents choose a non-milk-based formula as a first feeding or as a supplement to breastfeeding. These soy-based formulas are especially helpful for those infants with allergies or sensitivities to cow's-milk protein, and for those infants with disorders for which lactose from cow's milk should be avoided.
Some soy-based infant formulas, however, have historically had a tendency to promote harder stools in some infants as compared to breast-fed infants, which can then lead to constipation in some infants. This can be especially problematic for soy-based infant formulas that are iron and calcium fortified, since it is well known that both iron and calcium can further promote harder stool formation. These nutrients, however, are important for the optimal growth and development of infants, and thus for formula fed infants must be provided in either the formula or in other dietary or supplemental sources.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to formulate a calcium fortified, soy-based infant formula that provides nutrition and softer stool formation. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a formula that reduces the incidence of constipation in infants fed a soy-based formula. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such benefits from calcium-fortified infant formula, and further to provide such benefits from a calcium and iron fortified infant formula.
These and other objects of the present invention will be described or otherwise suggested in greater detail hereinafter.